


Burn

by elebridith



Series: Face Value [4]
Category: Angel: the Series, Leverage
Genre: Crossover, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-12
Updated: 2012-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-31 01:21:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/338333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elebridith/pseuds/elebridith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was pretty sure that it was written all over his face – and with immaculate timing Eliot turned his head and looked his way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burn

**Author's Note:**

> Has minor Nate/Sophie, pre-Parker/Hardison.
> 
> Set in my Face Value!Verse. About two months after Face Value, follows "Dreams".
> 
> Disclaimer: Not mine, no one, nothing. Just playing.  
> Beta'd by rocketpool.

Lindsey ran a hand through his short brown locks. He felt a little frustrated. Or more accurately, a whole lot frustrated.

All in all, life had finally gone uphill after he came to Chicago and Nathan had decided to trust him enough to join the team. The others had accepted it without any fuss, even Sophie, who had been reluctant at first but now treated him no differently than the others. Lindsey still wasn't sure that the team believed everything he had told them about his previous life as lawyer from Evil, Inc., but he knew that their own lives had been crazy enough to give him a benefit of doubt. He'd already worked jobs with them, although he mostly did research and file work, and had taken up combat training lessons with Eliot to stay in shape. The others had gotten used to his physical resemblance to Eliot some time ago, but to distinguish them both at least a little bit he'd cut his hair short again and had dropped the Urban Cowboy look in favor of a more casual style.

He was keeping a low profile at the moment. Lindsey McDonald had officially died in Los Angeles, but he already had a new identity thanks to Hardison's talents. He had adamantly insisted on picking his new name by himself – he had no intention of ending up with a geeky last name like Skywalker, Tennant or Harkness.

In about three to four months he would have a condo of his own. Nathan had overheard a conversation that a couple who lived in the same building as them would move out and sell their condo. Although Nathan didn't have a problem letting him stay in his guest room Lindsey wasn't willing to take advantage of his generosity longer than necessary. So Nathan had pulled some strings to get him on top of the list of interested buyers and everything was in clean sheets now.

Money wasn't a problem. Like all good Wolfram & Hart employees Lindsey had stashed away some cash under a false name in a hidden bank account... just in case. As it turned out, it wasn't as hidden as he had hoped – the account had already been frozen when he tried to access it a week after his "death". Lindsey clenched his teeth at the memory.  _I wonder if Wolfram & Hart knew about everybody that did this? Probably._

Luckily there had been no magical protections, and Lindsey saw for the first time just how good Hardison really was. The hacker had taken up the challenge, gleeful as ever, and within a few days had managed to transfer the money from the frozen account to another one he'd set up for Lindsey. He was not explicit on details, but somehow the transfer looked as if it had been made a week before Lindsey's official expiration date and the money had gone into a Swiss account that had been wiped two days later. Hardison had chuckled a lot as he had planted false trails that would lead anyone looking for the money on a fruitless wild goose chase. And Lindsey had freely admitted that the thought of some poor W & H employees still searching Switzerland for the hidden cash had its entertainment value. 

Lindsey decided that Leverage Consulting & Associates could be described as a bunch of friends. In a very loose way, maybe, but friends nevertheless, and in the past two months he had found a place among them and it felt damn good. _Team. And meaning it_.

There was just one little thing.

He already knew a lot about the others. About Nathan's son, his divorce, his alcoholism. About Hardison's enthusiasm for science fiction and orange soda, and his crush on Parker. He knew Sophie's favorite perfume. (By pure chance it was the same one that Lilah had preferred, which had irritated him a lot at first, but now he'd gotten used to it.) He even had endured a video of one of her acting gigs. It had taken all of his wit and his own acting skills to find some nice words about it after that, but it had been worth it - she had warmed up considerably after that. Parker was... Parker. With a very unique way of seeing the world. He was still getting used to her blunt outbursts, but at least she hadn't stabbed him with a fork. Yet. 

Which meant he was in the dark for only one team member. _Eliot Spencer. He's like a freakin' oyster. Why do I know nothing about him?_

It wasn't like he didn't know anything at all – oh no. He knew that the man was a kick-ass fighter, didn't like guns, had worked for the government, was engaged once – _oh_ _sorry, it was only a Promise Ring_ \- could cook like a chef if he felt like it and had a shitload of anger bottled up inside him. So that was quite a lot – but none of it even scratched the surface. None of it told him who Eliot  was.

_Why doesn't he like guns? Where'd he learn to cook? Where'd he come from? What... Damn. I'm doing it again._

He wanted to know more about the man who had saved his life. Wanted it so badly that it almost reached the point of obsession, but he'd learned one thing very quickly – one does not, absolutely not, ask Eliot Spencer about his private life. Not unless you want a death glare and biting comments. Especially not if you're the one getting combat training from him. Lindsey made a face and unconsciously rubbed his leg as he remembered his last approach. It had ended in a whole set of bruises that could be translated as "don't ask me private questions ever again", although Eliot had kinda apologized afterwards. Lindsey sighed at the memory. It would have been a whole lot easier if he could just dismiss Eliot as a cold-hearted bastard who just happened to save him and probably regretted it by now. 

_Wish it would be that simple. It's not. Not with what he..._

Lindsey couldn't forget the way Eliot had pulled him out of his self-loathing two months ago. And there was so much more. Lindsey had seen him give Sophie a shoulder massage after a very narrow escape from a runaway truck that left her really shaking, heard him rant and bitch about eating habits but getting orange soda and sweet cereals anyway while shopping for supplies. And whenever duty called for a hospital visit, Eliot volunteered, to spare Nathan the task.  Although he dismissed every thanks with a shrug and a grunted _don't mention it,_ small details like that proved the existence of a soft spot in Eliot Spencer. Proved that he cared, even if he did a stellar job of hiding it. _Who are you, Eliot?_ He almost growled in frustration. _I'm getting nowhere with this. Better think of something else, this is..._

The sound of a key in the door interrupted his musings. As the others entered the room, chatting excitedly, he was honestly glad about the distraction, given that there was no more file work he could do today. But the con they had just finished had been spectacular, and Nathan had decided that some kind of celebration was in order.

About half an hour later the first bottle of champagne was empty. Parker was already a little tipsy and Hardison amused everyone by re-enacting a funny scene from the scam he had been pulling. Everyone was laughing, and as Hardison heaped some praise on Eliot's head the guy actually smiled. Lindsey had seen him smile before – sometimes deliberately for some part he was playing, sometimes mockingly, very seldom just naturally, but never like this. Honest, real, even with a little affection, playing the praise down but flattered about it nevertheless.

Lindsey's breath got stuck in his throat. His own smile faltered as he realized - _God, I want to kiss him. Kiss that smile just right off his lips. And keep it for me. How... When did that..._ He was pretty sure that it was written all over his face – and with immaculate timing Eliot turned his head and looked his way.

He hoped at first that Eliot hadn't seen it. Lindsey had quickly put back on his cocky grin, muttered something about more drinks and opened another champagne bottle. He poured it for the others, managing to avoid Eliot's glance even while refilling his glass. When the others focused on Hardison while he vividly told another story, Lindsey looked Eliot's direction again and knew that he hadn't been that lucky. Eliot directed a cold unreadable stare at him, the smile completely wiped out. Their eyes met for a brief second, and then Eliot turned his head again, putting on a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. Lindsey was just glad that no one else had noticed yet. He was suddenly sober again, made a hasty excuse about using the restroom, stood up quickly and practically fled the room.

Alone in the bathroom, he leaned against the cabinet, then slumped down on the floor. He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair again, then curled his fingers up and pulled roughly.

_Shit. I'm fucked._

***

Eliot didn't mention The Look. Not the next day, not later. Lindsey tried to act as normal as possible, and in the end was almost convinced that he had been imagining Eliot's Don't-Even-Think-About-It expression. On the other hand he couldn't shake the feeling that Eliot avoided being alone with him more than usual, outside of combat training. And a few times he caught Eliot looking at him with a weird expression that he couldn't read at all. All of this left him more and more uneasy.

A few days later, Lindsey sat in the kitchen, waiting for his tea to cool down to a drinkable temperature and playing absently with some cookies. He idly turned them between his fingers, even rearranged them on his plate. He wasn't really hungry, but felt restless and his fingers needed something to do. He lifted his head as he heard the kitchen door open and smiled as Nathan came in. "Hey. Had a good day?" 

Nathan smiled back and nodded. "Tired now, but yeah." He grabbed a cup, poured himself some tea and sat down on the opposite site of the table and eyed Lindsey curiously, obviously noting that his smile had been a little forced. "How about you?" He sounded concerned, and when Lindsey didn't answer immediately, Nathan sat his cup down again without taking a sip. He leaned forward a little, and searched Lindsey's face. "Everything all right?"

Lindsey sighed, shoulders slumping a bit. He looked at Nathan and smiled a little reluctantly. "Yes. No. Don't know actually."

Nathan nodded slightly as if Lindsey had just confirmed a suspicion, and gave him a sympathetic look. "He's practically impossible to figure out."

Lindsey looked up, a little surprised. He dropped the cookie he'd been fiddling with back on the plate. "Am I that obvious?"

"That you're trying to get through to Eliot? Yeah. Blatantly obvious." Nathan grinned, just a teeny bit smug, and took a sip of his tea.

Lindsey felt wary all of a sudden and tried to hide it by emptying his cup with a few big swallows. _'Trying to get through' - did he see it? But if he did, he knows that I got a snowball's chance in hell. The question is, does he mind?_ He met Nathan's eyes and saw a spark of amusement in them. _He's fuckin' reading me. Damn, he's good. Gotta keep up that guard better, Lindsey._

Nathan's expression shifted to a small soothing smile. "And so far you've failed, and you got frustrated about it. Don't worry, it's nothing personal. We've known him a lot longer than you and we actually don't know much about him either."

Lindsey felt slightly relieved at Nathan's sympathetic tone. But then Nathan's words sank in and Lindsey sighed again, frustration showing more and more. He rubbed his temples. "And why's that, Nate? Who... is he?"

Nathan emptied his own cup and shook his head. "He likes to keep his privacy. Sometimes he drops hints, and of course there are files with the basic facts, and I assume you have already read them. But you know as well as I do how little a file really says about a person."

Lindsey snorted out a small resigned sound. "No kiddin'."

Nathan stood up, fetched the tea and refilled the two cups, silent for a moment. Then he continued. "I would call him a friend, if just for the lack of a better word, and I'd trust him with my life. But do I know him? Probably better than anyone else, given for how long I chased him before we started working together." Nathan huffed out a humorless laugh. "And I'm pretty sure there are a few things that he wouldn't be happy if he knew that I know." He leaned back into his chair, and Lindsey didn't have to be an expert in body language to know that Nathan wouldn't say any more.

Lindsey slowly shook his head as he felt the now-familiar exasperation creeping in that showed itself every time he hit another Eliot-shaped wall. He could barely keep it out of his voice. "So where does he go when he ain't sleeping on your couch? I know he's got family left, but what about other friends?"

Nathan shrugged. "He has a small apartment on the other side of the town, under a false name. As for other friends? Sure. Some of his buddies even helped us out once." Nathan gave Lindsey an inquiring look and then nodded slowly. "But you mean close friends. Not that I know about. He considers them attachments, and he doesn't want that. Says he." For a moment there was a small enigmatic smile on Nathan's face, but was quickly replaced by his usual calm expression. "The closest people he has - that would be us."  He slowly took a careful sip of the hot tea and looked up again. "Eliot knows that if he loses control when he fights, people die. And he applies that rule on the rest of his life too. He thinks he has to." 

Lindsey looked down at his plate and didn't say any more. He took Nathan's words and even more, the hidden sympathy in his expression, as "you can try, but don't be disappointed if you fail," and wasn't sure how he felt about that. _At least he didn't straight out tell me that it's hopeless. But one way or the other, I gotta fix things with Eliot._

They continued their conversation with other topics until Nathan looked at the clock and stood up. "Sorry Lindsey, I'm going to call it a day. Have to catch up some sleep, the last week was hard." He grinned apologetically and stifled a yawn. 

Lindsey stood up too, taking the last sip of his tea. He nodded at Nathan. "I should do that too, but..." He shrugged. "Gotta clear my head, maybe watch some TV. G'night, Nate."

They both left the kitchen. Nathan headed for his bedroom and Lindsey dropped on the couch in front of the TV. He switched in on, trying to distract himself from thinking about Eliot. About his reaction. About his own very confused feelings. But after half an hour of staring at some mixture of explosions, car chases and fight scenes, he suddenly noticed that he didn't even have a clue who the good guy or the bad guy was. He groaned in frustration and switched the TV off. _Yeah, that worked really well._  

He sighed and decided that since he still wasn't tired, he could at least try to come up with a way to sort things out with Eliot. He shook his head in amazement as he recalled the last two months. Funny how somehow along the way he had started to develop... _What? Attraction? Feelings?_ He shut off that train of thought quickly before another word came up. _Something_ for the other man, and the only thing that Lindsey was sure about right now was that he at least wanted to try to break down Eliot's walls. 

 _I don't even know if he also likes guys. Hell,_ _I_ _don't even really..._ He clenched his teeth and balled his fists as an unwelcome memory appeared in his mind. _No. Not the same._ He forced it back, taking a few deep breaths. _Looks like I gotta find out if he does. An' if he brushes me off - well, then that's another failed try in getting a somewhat healthy attachment._ He grinned wolfishly at the memory. _Yeah, Holland. Not what you had in mind either, I guess._

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he heard the sound of the door opening. Eliot walked in, bag slung over his shoulder and wearing a self satisfied expression. He looked around the room and stopped abruptly as he caught sight of Lindsey. He looked surprised at first, then alarmed. "Hey. You're still up – something happen?"

Lindsey stood up and slowly stepped forward around the couch, unsure of how to go on. He hadn't expected for Eliot to come home now, had hoped to face him after a few hours of sleep at least. Finally he gave him a quick smile as if nothing was awkward. "No, I just wasn't tired." He was quite proud that he could keep his tone of voice casual.

Eliot nodded absently. And there was this look again, just for a second. And suddenly Lindsey knew what it reminded him of. _Cornered animal. Ready to strike. What the hell?_ Lindsey almost expected a snarl, but the expression was already gone, replaced by the usual calmness. He hesitated a moment, but then blurted out "Where have you been?" _Come on. Tell me. Give me something_.

Eliot glared at him, now clearly annoyed. "None of your business." He abruptly turned away and headed towards the kitchen.

And that was it. Lindsey decided that he had had enough of this. No more carefully laid out plans about trying to get a civilized talk between adults. His patience went out of the window. _It was a simple innocent question, you bastard. An' you snap at me like I asked you to hand over your diary._  "Hey!"

Eliot stopped and turned around. He only arched an eyebrow, annoyance now mixed with impatience. "What?"

Lindsey narrowed his eyes. Eliot was clearly ready to attack now, at least verbally, but damn if Lindsey would back down now. "The hell is wrong with you?"

Now it was both eyebrows, fists slightly clenched and voice dangerously low. "Excuse me?" 

Lindsey tried to control his anger, to keep his voice down not to wake Nathan. He took a slow breath before answering. "Is there a reason why you keep shutting me out?" His questioning glare at Eliot got no visible response, and Lindsey felt his control slowly crumbling. "You've gone through a lot of trouble getting me out of Los Angeles, you probably know my life by now as well as I do and I still don't know shit about you!" He threw his hands in the air in a frustrated gesture. "I don't want your whole damn back story here, but could it hurt you to, y'know, loosen up?" Lindsey caught his breath again and almost expected Eliot to storm off without a response, but the other man didn't move, just gave him a hard look. Then Eliot's lips curled into a sardonic smile. 

"You think because I saved your sorry ass that means you mean a damn thing to me? Sorry. Don't work that way."

Lindsey's eyes now glared daggers. The urge to punch Eliot in the face for his scathing tone of voice was nearly overwhelming, and he balled his hands to fists. "And you say there's something wrong with Parker!" A small twitch in Eliot's jaw told Lindsey that he had hit a nerve, and it was a satisfying thought. He decided to put on some more pressure. "I call bullshit, Eliot. I think I got some right to know something, anything about you." He grinned, showing his teeth when he saw Eliot's eyes narrowing. "Or are you just afraid that I could get under your skin?"

It was a low blow, he knew it. He had barely a second to see the flare of anger in Eliot's eyes before the man launched at him. Eliot's fists were balled, and Lindsey ducked sideways, expecting a blow to his face. But Eliot changed his direction at the last moment, shoving hard against Lindsey's shoulder and delivering a kick against his right ankle just a split second later. The combined momentum sent Lindsey stumbling backwards. His foot caught on something, causing him to lose his balance completely. He landed flat on his back, breath knocked out of him. Dazed, he could hear a snorted-out laugh from Eliot, and, before he had time to react, Eliot suddenly crouched over him. A lightning fast move, and Lindsey's wrists were in a tight grip on the floor over his head. Eliot grinned down at him, without the slightest trace of amusement. His voice was still dead calm despite the anger still showing in his darkened eyes. "Fighting dirty, Lindsey? Good. Seems you've learned at least one lesson in all your fighting sessions." Eliot quickly moved his feet in a manner that prevented Lindsey's legs very effectively from moving, and smirked. "Now let's see what you make of this one."

Lindsey was trapped. Eliot was now pinning Lindsey down with his weight and his fingers around Lindsey's wrists were too strong to twist open. _Great. Just great. Don't think I give up this easily, Eliot._ He could see the smug expression on Eliot's face as he struggled helplessly against him, but there was also something else behind it. Something he really couldn't place. _What kind of game is he playing now?_ He snarled, half-angry, half-frustrated, and bucked his hips upward in another futile try to throw off the hard body above him, and then his eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

 _Oh. Now that's… OH. Now_ _that_ _explains a lot._ Lindsey let his expression morph to a wicked grin and very slowly and deliberately repeated his movement. A small growl told him that Eliot had gotten the message, loud and clear, and Lindsey's grin widened. He tilted his head just a bit and gave his voice as much smugness as possible. "Now, 'm pretty sure that's not a gun in yer pocket, so... happy to see me?"

Eliot stared angrily down at him, although Lindsey wasn't sure anymore if the anger was directed at him. Nevertheless the grip on his wrists tightened to almost bone-crushing, and Lindsey had a hard time keeping up his dirty grin. Eliot's jaw clenched and his eyes blazed, but he managed to keep his voice low. "Loosen up, huh? That's what you want? Not me, boy. Still in control here." And Lindsey had not even a heartbeat before the other man lowered his head and kissed him. 

It wasn't tender. Not in the slightest. It was almost an attack, a hard smash against his lips complete with teeth and tongue. Lindsey still couldn't move his arms or legs, but he didn't mind just now. He kissed back, just as feral, trying to catch Eliot's lower lip with his teeth, and another buck of his hips convinced him that he hadn't been imagining things before. A small moan escaped Lindsey. _Guess that answers the liking guys thing..._

Eliot pulled back suddenly, leaving them both panting heavily. He stared at Lindsey's face as if he couldn't decide if he should go on or back off, and Lindsey used the opportunity to finally twist one of his hands free. _Oh no. No getting away, Eliot_. Sensing Eliot's momentary conflict he dug his fingers in Eliot's long hair without hesitation, trying to draw him back into another kiss. Eliot grinned, refusing to give in but pressing his hips down harder for a moment. Lindsey's brain short circuited as Eliot rolled his hips just slightly before abruptly moving back. He only started thinking again as Eliot got to his feet, dragging Lindsey up in the process. Lindsey opened his mouth, but whatever words he had on his tongue died away as Eliot gripped his shoulders hard and pulled Lindsey flush against him. 

They looked at each other for a moment, faces only inches apart. Lindsey could feel Eliot's fast breathing against his heated skin and didn't dare to move. After what seemed like hours Eliot's eyes closed for a moment, then the angry tension melted a little and the grip on Lindsey's shoulders was still tight but didn't hurt anymore.

"Bedroom. Now." Eliot's voice was pure _want_ and hell if it wasn't the most arousing sound Lindsey had ever heard. His room suddenly seemed very far away, certainly too far to reach without kissing Eliot again. Eliot seemed to like the idea, but then he growled, pushed Lindsey forward and they stumbled into Lindsey's bedroom, somehow managing to close the door behind them. Eliot was already tearing at Lindsey's shirt and made an impatient sound as some of the buttons refused to work. "Hope this isn't your favorite."

Eliot simply ripped it open, and Lindsey shivered with a rush of arousal at the hungry look in Eliot's eyes. Lindsey shook his head, giving a little breathless laugh while he shrugged off the remains. He grabbed the belt of Eliot's jeans and used it to pull him over to the half-made bed. As they dropped onto it Lindsey managed to end up on top of Eliot. He pushed himself up a bit to catch a look at Eliot's face, pressing his hips down in the process. The movement drew a very small moan from Eliot. Lindsey grinned happily, but let his smile fade quickly as Eliot just glared at him. He smirked inwardly. _Was that a slip of control, Eliot?_  But then he got serious. He studied Eliot's face, the mixture of need and still lingering anger, and shook his head. "Thought I'd freaked you out the other day."

Eliot huffed out a laugh that was half amused, half affronted. "Takes more than that. 'M _very_ flexible." He grabbed Lindsey's arms and flipped them both over, giving a wicked smile as he pressed Lindsey's body to the bed.

Lindsey made an angry sound and tried to free himself, not wanting to give in too easily. It had been a long time since he'd been shoved around like this but any objections he had flew out of the window as Eliot lowered his head and pressed his mouth to Lindsey's jaw. He was using his teeth a little less aggressively than before, slowly biting and licking his way down. Lindsey closed his eyes, moaned a little and let his head fall back. "Flexible sounds great, y'kn..." The words go stuck in his throat as Eliot ground his hips against him. He gasped. "Fuck… yes…more…"

Lindsey could hear soft chuckling as he tangled his fingers in Eliot's hair, trying to direct him further down his chest and not really succeeding. Eliot resisted his pushing easily and sounded genuinely amused now. "Nuh-uh, Lindsey. My pacing here. Not taking orders from you."

Lindsey growled impatiently. "No orders. Fine. Have it your - " His voice broke and he arched his back up with a sharp hiss as Eliot's mouth found the soft flesh below his left collarbone. _Skin. Now._ He lifted his head slightly while his hands tore almost desperately on the shirt that Eliot was still wearing. The front finally ripped open so he could get his hands on bare skin. Lindsey raked his fingernails down Eliot's back and a sharp intake of breath told him that he had just hit the right button. He smirked and ran his nails softly along Eliot's spine, and Eliot finally gave in and lowered his whole body down. Their naked chests pressed together as Eliot kissed him hard, and Lindsey dug his fingers in Eliot's hair and pulled not too softly. Eliot growled and nipped at Lindsey's lower lip, but didn't really bite down. Lindsey took it as an encouragement and tugged again, getting that growling sound again that he was starting to like.

Eliot still kissed him, hungry and needy. Lindsey ground his hips upwards, already breathing hard and fast, seeking friction against the body covering him. Eliot chuckled against his lips and, without breaking the kiss, gripped Lindsey's hips and held him down easily. Then Eliot's lips moved to Lindsey's left ear, ghosting over the sensitive skin under it, and Lindsey's breath caught in his throat. "Shit, Eliot... stop fuckin' teasing me..." Lindsey gasped out as Eliot now softly sucked the skin between his teeth. "Get yer hands movin' an' touch me already?"

Eliot didn't answer, just soothingly licked at the spot where his teeth had left tiny marks. Lindsey hoped with the last bit of clarity he had left that this mewling sound only was in his head and hadn't slipped out. He gripped Eliot's shoulders and finally, _finally_ , could feel Eliot's hands sliding down between their bodies, working first Lindsey's and then the buttons of his own jeans open, pushing them down just a bit. The only sounds coming from Lindsey now were moans deep in his throat and harsh panting, the words _ohGodyespleasenow_ only sounding in his head but not coming out. He threw his head back with a small cry as Eliot sucked on his earlobe, voice now a deep low purr.

"I wanna see you fall apart, Lindsey. Lose control. Burn." 

Lindsey lifted his hips a bit so that Eliot could push his tight jeans down some more. Eliot's hands rested for a moment on his bare hipbones and then _touched,_ curling his fingers tightly and stroking them both at once. All it took was a few firm moves, and Eliot's mouth back on his, and Lindsey cried out, a hoarse, choking sound. He dug his fingers into Eliot's back, holding on for dear life as the force of his orgasm sent rippling waves through him. He was vaguely aware that Eliot's body stiffened for a moment and Lindsey more felt than heard a rough sound against his lips that might have been his name. 

It seemed like hours until he was able to breathe properly again, and he felt so sated that opening his eyes seemed like hard work. But seeing Eliot looking down at him with a very unguarded and almost vulnerable expression was kind of unexpected. His hazy brain still couldn't form coherent thoughts let alone provide words, but he managed a little smile. _He wanted this. Wanted_ _me_ _._

Eliot didn't smile back. He just stared at him, looking stunned and a little disbelieving. He opened his mouth and closed it again, and for a tiny moment he looked almost helpless. Then Eliot lifted his hand and brushed his fingertips softly over Lindsey's lips. Lindsey's eyes fluttered close and only opened again as the caress was suddenly gone and he felt the other man shift his weight away from him.

"What…?" Lindsey slowly sat up, absently pulled his jeans back up a bit and frowned. _He's not just gonna leave, is he? He can't think that this was all I wanted!_ He was awake again all of a sudden, confused and a little anxious. "Where are you going?"

Eliot stopped moving and looked at him, and something that could have been regret showed on his face. But then his eyes went cold and Lindsey could practically see the defenses coming up again. "Back on the couch. Where else?"

Eliot started to push himself upright and reached for his zipper. Lindsey shook his head fiercely. "No." He quickly reached out and placed his hand on Eliot's upper arm. "Stay." He looked into Eliot's eyes, trying to connect again. "Please."

Eliot hesitated, and closed his eyes for a moment. Lindsey saw his face harden for a moment, and fully expected a negative answer. He prepared himself for a brush off, but now a quick flash of frustration went over Eliot's face. Lindsey held his breath. _Come on, Eliot._  Eliot inhaled slowly and opened his eyes, and that particular expression was gone, replaced by calmness. His voice was almost soft. "Are you sure?"

Lindsey locked eyes with him and nodded. "Yeah." Eliot didn't move a muscle for a few long heartbeats, but then Lindsey was rewarded with one of those rare brilliant smiles. For a moment the mask of the unflappable fighter was removed, and Lindsey's eyes lit up at the sight. _Mine_.

Eliot dropped back on the bed again, now wearing a mixture of amusement and concern on his face. And still a trace of that smile. "You do realize that the others will find out as soon as I open that door in the morning?"

Lindsey grinned happily, his self-confidence back in place. "And that should bother me? Why? Is Nate going to burn me at the stake?" he asked jokingly.

Eliot chuckled, now looking completely relaxed. "No, he won't. Hardison on the other hand will probably choke on his coffee when he finds out." At Lindsey's questioning look he smirked and explained. "He's still sure that I have a thing for Parker. Don't know where that came from." He shrugged and stood up again.

Lindsey frowned, confused. He swung his legs out of the bed without thinking. "Hey – where are you… I thought…"

Eliot looked down at him and arched his eyebrows, eyes glittering with amusement. "I'm gonna grab a fresh sheet. Don't know about you, but I'm not sleeping under your wet and..." He pointedly looked at the spot where they had been before. "...slightly sticky one. 'M gonna have my own, thank you." He smirked and walked over to the drawer.

Lindsey eyed the messy sheet under him and had to grin. _Okay. You got a point._ He stood up and got rid of his jeans, used his torn shirt to clean himself up a bit and threw it in the dustbin just as Eliot turned around. Lindsey saw the quick movement of his hands, but wasn't fast enough - the new sheet landed on top of him. As he finally wrestled himself out of it Eliot had changed into boxers and examined now the shredded remains of his shirt. He sighed and stripped it off.

"Ain't goin' out to get a new one now. Might as well give them a good show later."

Lindsey laughed and quickly replaced the sheet. He slipped on a fresh pair of boxers, let himself drop on the bed, crawled under it and yawned. He stretched like a cat as Eliot slid next to him and gave him a relaxed smile. "I really thought I'd blown everything to pieces the other day." he said softly.

Eliot tilted his head, lips twitching. "Well, your expression wasn't exactly subtle. And ya looked pretty freaked out yourself." He chuckled, but only for a second. "I didn't want it. Didn't want me to want it." He looked away, and Lindsey saw his shoulders tense. "Being close always means trouble." He looked back at Lindsey with a quick apologetic smile, visibly relaxed again and stretched his legs.

Lindsey smiled, already more than a little sleepy. "Glad you made an exception to the rule." His eyes fell close and he could feel Eliot shift into a more comfortable position next to him. He was vaguely aware of Eliot's arm sliding hesitantly halfway around his waist before he drifted off to sleep completely, his head almost resting on Eliot's shoulder.

***

 

Parker was just grabbing a banana from Nate's fruit platter when the door opened and Hardison bounced into the kitchen. He greeted Parker, Nate and Sophie with a cheerful "Good morning folks, glorious food for the hard-working!" and dropped bagels and croissants on the table. Nate immediately grabbed a croissant, Sophie tapped her lip and eyed the bagels, and Hardison chatted on while cutting a bagel in two. 

Parker gave him a greeting smile and sliced the banana into her cereal bowl, nodding at it. _Fruit is healthy. Eliot's gonna be proud of me._ She slowly lowered the knife and frowned. _Eliot._ She looked up and turned to Nate. "Is Eliot still on the job?"

Nate swallowed his croissant bite and shook his head. "No, he came back here last night." He didn't say more, just shot her an amused expectant grin and sipped his coffee. 

Parker frowned again and nibbled on her lower lip. _There were no pillows on the couch. So where did he sleep?_  She suddenly became wide-eyed as she realized that Eliot wasn't the only one missing at the table. She clapped her mouth shut to keep herself from squeaking and gave Nate a questioning look. Nate smiled and made a small head movement to the still-closed guest room door. Sophie had caught the wordless conversation and just smirked. Parker beamed as she looked around and noticed that Hardison was now rummaging around the fridge and was still blissfully unaware. _That's going to be fun. Ah, here it comes._

Hardison grabbed a full coffee mug, looked around and frowned. "Eliot came in?" He gave a gleeful laugh. "Then he definitely slept longer than ninety minutes! Hah!" He slapped his hand on his thigh with delight. "The champion has overslept! Can I wake him and gloat?"

Parker grinned happily. _Five, four, three…_

***

 

Lindsey stirred as someone shook his shoulders gently.

"Hey, wake up. We're missin' breakfast."

Lindsey blinked twice before finally remembering the last night. A delighted grin broke over his face as he found Eliot still next to him in the bed, watching him. He caught a small tender smile lingering on Eliot's face before the other man looked away and moved to stand up. Lindsey quickly reached out and surprised Eliot a bit by sliding a hand around his neck and pulling him back for a gentle kiss. "Good morning to you too, Eliot." He reluctantly drew back and had to smile at the stunned look on Eliot's face. _Not used to still being there in the morning, are ya?_ Lindsey stretched himself a bit and stood up, trying to act as normal as possible. "Okay, then we gotta hurry. Whose turn was it?"

Eliot recovered quickly. "Hardison's, I think. He just got here." He got up and stretched too. "And I smell coffee. Let's just hope it wasn't Nate who made it." He crinkled his nose and made a disgusted sound.

Lindsey laughed while he slid into new clothes. "That bad? I never paid attention who made it, just noticed that sometimes it's, well, better."

Eliot reached for his jeans. "You have no idea." He sighed and then grinned. "Ready? Let's face the music."

***

 

Parker looked at Hardison, who just at this moment took a sip of coffee, and worked hard to keep a casual expression. "Yeah, go get him before all the coffee is gone. He slept in Lindsey's bed last night." _Two, one…_ She watched Hardison's face as the realization sank in and finally hit.

_Liftoff._

Hardison choked on his coffee. "Wha.. huh? WHAT???" It came out very high-squeaked and a little strangled, and Parker beamed, very pleased with the result.

"Well, he's not here in the kitchen." She motioned around and looked questioningly at Hardison who coughed violently but managed to give her an affirming hand wave. She continued, puzzled that she really had to state the obvious. "He's not in the bathroom because I was there – alone – two minutes ago. He wasn't sleeping on his couch, because there are no pillows. And I'm quite sure he wasn't in Nate's bedroom either." She tilted her head and looked at Nate, pursing her lips. "Or was he?" Nate laughed and shook his head while Sophie lowered her bagel and just stared at her. Parker stared back, confused. "What?" 

Sophie blinked, once, twice, and then shook herself and smiled. "Nothing, Parker. Go on."

Parker shrugged and turned back to Hardison. "Leaves only one possibility. Quite simple." She leaned back, looking very satisfied with herself while Hardison still coughed. 

Sophie patted him helpfully on the back. "Cheer up, Hardison. It's no big deal, isn't it?"

Hardison gasped for air and finally caught his breath again. "No, no, of course it isn't!" He shook his head and looked a bit affronted. "Hey, totally not my business, okay?" He threw a small glance at Parker and laughed a little too loud. "I just... I thought…"

Parker finally got what he was thinking. She rolled her eyes. "No, he doesn't have a crush on me. Never had, stupid." She let out a giggle. "Lindsey and Eliot. Well, that gives the whole "Fuck Yourself" thing a complete new meaning, doesn't it?"

"Very funny, Parker." Eliot's dry remark caused everyone's heads to turn. They all had now the full view of a half-naked Eliot indeed leaving Lindsey's bedroom and heading for his bags, searching for some clothes. Nate continued chewing his croissant, seemingly unimpressed. Sophie gave an appreciative glance and Parker almost bounced on her chair, self-satisfied grin on her face. Hardison looked around and finally shook his head, smiling to himself and then directing a wide grin at Parker. She smiled back and then turned to Sophie, eager to get feedback.

"Was that good? This teasing thing, I mean? In the movies, people always sputter coffee, that means I did it right?"

Sophie had to chuckle and then gave Parker a proud smile and nodded approvingly. "Yes, you did. You waited for the right moment and then delivered your line. That was very good." She patted Parker's arm and Parker beamed at her, feeling very accomplished. 

She turned back to Hardison, still grinning. "Did you hear that? I teased you."

"---is in good hands..." Hardison's voice trailed off and Parker frowned, but then realized that he'd been talking to her. She gave Hardison a blank stare, eyebrows raised. Hardison sighed and repeated his words. "So, Parker, now that Eliot is in good hands..." 

Before Parker could react, Lindsey said "Thanks for your approval, man." He pulled himself a chair and sat down, smiled at Hardison, only slightly mocking, and patted him on the shoulder.

Eliot followed suit seconds later. He looked hard at the mugs on the table and narrowed his eyes. "Who made the coffee?"

Sophie gave him a smug grin. "Since you were… busy, I took the liberty. Don't worry, Nate got nowhere near it."

Eliot nodded gravely. "Okay then." He took up a cup and settled down at the table, looking questioningly at Nate. "Got a new job for us already?"

Nate looked at him, face completely serious. "Yes. Buying earplugs. Well, at least if you guys want to keep up what you did last night." This time it was Lindsey choking on his coffee and turning an interesting shade of red while Eliot's lips just curled a little. Nate gave them an innocent look. "You do realize that those walls aren't soundproof, right?

***

 

That afternoon they both got assigned different tasks, and Eliot's job sent him out of town for three days. The job itself was easy – the difficulties boiled down to three nights alone in an empty, uncomfortable hotel bed and way too much time for thinking. He easily managed to close off all thoughts about Lindsey during the job, but as soon as he had checked on the security of his room and switched off the light, the thoughts came back with a vengeance. And their intensity almost frightened him. _Do I want this? Him... closer? Yes. Shit. If I'd just wanted to fuck him, it'd be over by now. An' him? Does he? I guess, yeah. And there you have it, Eliot, what you always tried to avoid. Attachment. An' you know what happens. It's too dangerous, for me, an' for him._ He snorted, a bitter, self-deprecating sound. _The others think that it could work. I've seen their looks. The way Sophie smiles when she looks at us._ His lips twisted into a snarl. _They have no idea. Too fucked up even for him, Eliot. No way it's gonna work._

Three nights were enough to convince himself of that. And were enough time to - again - rebuild his defense walls before having to face Lindsey. He had to laugh at the thought. _Practice makes perfect. I didn't even dream again._  And when he got back, he was sure that his self-control was back in place. He entered Nate's apartment and just nodded at Lindsey, who was watching TV and had looked up at the sound of the opening door. _Shit. I was hopin' he'd already be asleep. Okay, cup of coffee an' back to my own place. Don't need this now._

He walked right through towards the kitchen and tried to ignore the way Lindsey's face had lit up at the sight of him. Tried to ignore the way Lindsey had started to move, as if he wanted to get up and touch him. Even as he heard Lindsey saying "Eliot?" in a soft voice that was a little surprised and a little anxious, he didn't turn around, just continued making his coffee. Then a chair scratched over the floor, the angry sound of footsteps came towards him and then he could hear Lindsey's voice again.

"The fuck's wrong, Spencer? Cat got yer tongue?"

Eliot flinched inwardly at the sharp tone. Lindsey had never called him by his last name before, no matter how pissed off he was. That he was doing it now told Eliot loud and clear that Lindsey was not only angry but also hurt. He closed his eyes for a moment, steeled himself and then turned around, expression blank but finally looking at Lindsey. "Do we have to talk about this now? I'm really tired. We'll talk tomorrow?" _Or better, never. Not about us._

He could see Lindsey's anger rising, saw the narrowing eyes and the slowly clenching fists. "No, we won't. Talk to me now, Spencer." Lindsey's voice got louder. "Three days ago I thought I'd finally got through to you and now you're playin' oyster again? Sorry, but what in hell crawled up into your ass and died?"

Eliot sighed, stepped out of the kitchen and sat down, setting his mug on the table. "Right then." He looked up, pretty sure he had hidden his own hurt and regret safely behind his long tested expressionless face. But actually saying the words was much harder than he thought. "It won't work, Lindsey."

 

Lindsey froze. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. _That... can't be. The way he looked at me, and now... this? Was it all a joke?_ He blinked twice and then was able to talk again. "What?" His voice was deceptively calm. "Just like that? 'It won't work, Lindsey.' What are you talking about?" He kept his face blank and raised an eyebrow as if he was actually only curious and didn't just want to strangle the other man. He held Eliot's gaze and managed to keep his blank expression, but had to cross his arms to keep his hands from shaking visibly.

Eliot sighed again. His voice was patient as if he was talking to a stubborn child. "You're getting involved, attached. I can see it, and it just won't work."

Lindsey took one step back, straightened and got a hard look on his face that hadn't been there for weeks.  _P_ _utting up walls again, Eliot? That's a game I'm good at, too._ Very slowly he drew his lips into a deliberately scornful smile and gave his voice a sharp cold edge. "Yeah. Because you're such a lone wolf. Because you work best on your own. Because you don't need anybody. Fine. I get the message, Spencer. I won't be the one messing up the team work, don't worry, but don't expect me to be around if you need to scratch an itch."

A muscle in Eliot's jaw twitched and his eyes darkened, but he didn't move, just glared at Lindsey. "Funny. It didn't seem like that the other night!"

Lindsey snorted. "You weren't the only one doing some thinking while you were gone." He turned abruptly, strode to his bedroom, and closed the door with more force than necessary. Inside, he sat down heavily on the bed and balled his hands into fists. With an angry sound he hit the mattress twice, then stood up again and raked his fingers through his hair. _Damn you, El_ _iot. An' damn myself. I'm so f_ _uckin' stupid._ He sighed and slowly took off his clothes. _Should know better than fall for another damaged soul._ He crawled under the sheet and curled up, trying not to feel the empty ache in his chest. And failed miserably.

_I ain't gonna miss him. Really._

 

Eliot stared at the closed door, took a shaky breath and fought the urge to get up and follow. _No. No, don't. Better to end it now, remember? Keep your distance._ He turned around and snagged his mug from the table where he left it, carried it into the kitchen and emptied it in the sink. He clenched his jaw. _That fuckin' promise is attachment enough._ For a moment he stared blindly ahead, then he exhaled slowly and rubbed his eyes. _Gotta get out of here._ He left Nate's apartment and drove back to his own, thoughts still racing. Finally he curled up on his bed, drawing a blanket over him, years of practice allowing him to fall asleep quickly.

The next morning, both men tried to act as if the passionate night had never happened, but didn't succeed completely. Eliot was sure that everyone noticed that he was even less talkative than usual. And he could see the confused looks Parker gave Lindsey as he made biting sarcastic comments that actually hurt. Eliot tried not to take the bait, but couldn't help snapping back at least once. Only Nate's hard stare prevented them both from an open fight. As they finished planning and left the room, Nate took a few steps towards Eliot, but Eliot pretended that he hadn't seen it and fell into a fast jog to catch up with the others. The next two days he ignored questioning looks from Sophie and Hardison and more than once dodged Nate or Parker when they tried to corner him. Only the knowledge that Lindsey had to do the same kept him from growling at them. 

 

It took five days before Eliot finally gave in. Lindsey was starting to act like his usual if slightly more cranky self, retreating every evening to his bedroom without even glancing in Eliot's direction. Eliot had been sleeping on Nate's couch as usual during a job, but after waking up feeling like shit for four days in a row, he knew that he at least had to do the talking thing again.

So that night when Lindsey went to his bedroom with a "Good night everyone!", Eliot hesitated exactly ten more seconds before standing up and following, not caring that four pairs of eyes were watching him. But he could picture vividly the smug looks Nate and Parker were exchanging now. He could hear Hardison letting out an exaggerated relieved sigh while Sophie muttered "About time" before grabbing the TV control and turning up the volume.

Eliot slowly pushed the door to the bedroom open, entered the room and saw Lindsey adjusting pillows with far more force than necessary. He closed the door and hesitated when Lindsey didn't even look to see who it was, staring instead at the bed, motionless and not saying a word. Finally, Eliot opened his mouth. "We have to talk."

Lindsey turned around and caught Eliot's eyes, remaining expressionless and keeping every emotion out of his voice. "Do we? I thought we were pretty clear."

Eliot felt a flash of hurt going through him and he looked away. _What did you expect, Eliot? Knew it wouldn't be that easy._ He took a moment to collect himself and to make sure that he had his voice under control. "Let me at least explain, okay?"

Lindsey snorted and gave him a scornful look. "No, 's okay. I understand, really. You don't like attachments, I was getting too involved, yadda yadda. What's left to explain?" 

The dripping sarcasm in Lindsey's voice stung, hard and kind of unexpected. Eliot was quiet for a few moments before he simply said "I'm not good with relationships, Lindsey."

Lindsey raised his eyebrows and eyed him up and down. "You don't say. Gee, I wonder why that is." A flare of anger rose inside of Eliot. He balled his fists, but before he could say something, Lindsey raked his fingers through his hair and looked him in the eyes, sarcasm shifting to anger mixed with hurt. "Tell me one thing, Spencer." His voice wavered a bit. "Why didn't you just tell me off?" Lindsey must have noticed his voice trembling, because he inhaled sharply and his face hardened. "If you're so afraid of gettin' attached, why didn't you just say 'Oh sorry Lindsey, I'm not interested'?" He spat the words out now. "Would have saved me from lookin' like an idiot the whole three days you were away. I was almost convinced you..." Lindsey broke off the sentence and turned away abruptly. "Never mind." He started fiddling with the pillows again.

Eliot watched him for a while, looking at Lindsey's tense shoulders and his angry movements. His first impulse had been to give no answer and just storm out, but he resisted. _Come on, Eliot. You wanted to make things right, at least smooth this out. Just tell the truth and be done with it._ He felt his own anger die down and relaxed his stance a bit. Finally he said softly "You still want an answer?"

Lindsey stopped his fiddling and stood still for a moment, still not facing him. Then his shoulders sagged a bit and he turned around with a resigned sigh. "Yeah." He met Eliot's eyes for a second, expression blank. But before he looked away again, Eliot could clearly see that both anger and hurt still lingered underneath.

Eliot straightened and said quietly, "Because I thought for a moment it could work." He didn't look away as Lindsey slowly turned his head and looked him in the eyes. Lindsey's mouth opened and closed again, and Eliot could see the anger slowly draining away. 

Lindsey took a deep breath. "An' then you got time to think an' you panicked." His voice wasn't accusing anymore, just stating a fact. Eliot narrowed his eyes, not really liking how accurate that statement was.

"I didn't panic." It came out harsher than he intended, and Eliot flinched inwardly. To his relief he saw Lindsey's lips curling into a quick small smile.

  
"You had second thoughts. Of course." There was now a glimmer of amusement in Lindsey's eyes, and Eliot could practically see the air quotes around the words. But the lighter expression faded quickly and Lindsey's face and voice was neutral. "And now?"

The question hung in the air. Eliot opened his mouth to give the answer he had planned to give - the one that would end it, the one that would keep him safe. But he couldn't. Nate's voice came back to him, unwanted. _"Do you want him to be?"_ He idly wondered if Nate had foreseen this, if he had known better than Eliot himself how much he wanted someone close. And Eliot remembered the understanding in Lindsey's eyes when they had talked about dreams and nightmares. He closed his mouth again, wondering if Lindsey had read his conflicting thoughts on his face. He exhaled slowly. "I... don't know."

Lindsey shook his head with a sigh, but then took a few steps towards him. "Eliot."

Eliot noticed with an annoying sense of relief that Lindsey used his first name again. He scowled at himself. _Ain't like it matters. I ain't doin' this. I should go. Now. I should..._ He closed his eyes briefly and tried to convince himself that the thought didn't hurt, no, not a bit. 

Lindsey reached out but pulled his hand back before he touched Eliot. He looked down, worrying his lower lip, and then obviously came to a decision. He caught Eliot's eyes again, face calm now, but his voice was determined. "If it helps..." He huffed out a small self-deprecating laugh. "I ain't exactly a poster boy for relationships either. Dunno if you read all my files, but if not, remind me to tell ya about Darla some time. You'll learn some about fucked-up relationships." He chuckled humorlessly. "Certainly ain't wantin' to go the whole nine yards within a day with ya."

Eliot closed his eyes as he heard the affectionate tone in Lindsey's voice, but didn't move. He wanted to believe the other man, wanted to think that maybe, this time... He heard Lindsey's footsteps slowly moving behind him. Eliot heard a deep shaky breath and then Lindsey wrapped an arm around Eliot's chest and the other around his waist, resting his chin on Eliot's shoulder and lightly pressing up against him. He obviously could feel the heavy tension in Eliot's body and laughed a little nervously. "Just makin' this clear. I don't wanna dive into a 'relationship'. Ain't talking about holdin' hands or..." He chuckled. "...you buyin' me pretty flowers. Nothin' like that."

Eliot let his muscles relax slightly at the joking tone of Lindsey's voice, but then his too tight self control kicked in again. _No. Won't work, Eliot, you know that._ He snorted, stubbornly refusing to give in to that small voice in his his head that screamed _liar_. "Then what, Lindsey? I don't think you're doin' fuckbuddy, an' I ain't crappin' where I eat."

Lindsey pressed closer, his voice earnest now. "I know. Just – don't shut me out. Not before we've so much as started. A chance, Eliot. 'S all I'm askin' for..." Lindsey's voice trailed off, but he still held on.

Eliot sighed. _A chance. Yeah. As if we have one. But... leaving? Again? I... can't._ He huffed, a little annoyed with himself. _As if I want to spend another night like the last ones. Come on, Eliot. Stop lying to yourself._ After a few more deep breaths Eliot could feel most of his tension draining away. He finally slid out of Lindsey's hold and turned around to look into his eyes. He lifted his hand and almost cupped Lindsey's face, but hesitated at the last moment and only brushed his thumb over Lindsey's jaw. "So – no hand holding?"

 

Lindsey couldn't stop a wide grin from spreading over his face as he detected the small hint of a smile on Eliot's face. "No", he said firmly. "Not necessary, and besides, that would really scare the others. Nate would kill us if we break Hardison's brain."

Eliot's eyes glinted and his smile was now more visible. "True. And - no flowers?" Lindsey just shook his head and grinned even wider, vaguely aware that he maybe looked a little stupid now but he really didn't care. Eliot studied his face and then shook his head in mock resign. "Darn. An' here I just wanted to phone _Happy Flowers_ for a bouquet."

Lindsey saw his lips twitching. He tilted his head, very amused at the thought. "Never said I wouldn't take'm."  _And now, before this_ _really_ _gets mushy…_ He leaned in, nuzzled Eliot's neck and then slowly bit down on his earlobe. It earned him a sharp intake of breath and that little growl he had liked so much before. Eliot's hands had wandered to Lindsey's upper arms, and now held him in an almost bruising grip that made him gasp. Lindsey nipped on Eliot's earlobe again and murmured "You really prefer that couch out there?" Eliot didn't answer; he just slid his hands down to Lindsey's hips, gripped him tightly and moved them backwards to the bed. He only needed three steps until they reached it, and Eliot let himself fall back and they both tumbled down on it, already kissing.

It wasn't nearly as aggressive as the first time - more lips, less teeth, more hands, less nails. And their shirts survived being removed this time without irreparable damage. Soon they both only had their jeans left on, and Eliot pulled Lindsey on top of him. Judging by the soft gasps that escaped him Eliot liked it immensely when Lindsey's fingers slid through his hair, tugging softly and pulling harder whenever Eliot's hands touched somewhere especially good. Lindsey discovered several methods to get that little growl low in Eliot's throat that really turned him on, and gently sucking at the little hollow at the base of Eliot's throat rapidly became his favorite one. He had wanted to take it slow, not letting Eliot know just how much he wanted him, but that idea went out of the window as Eliot nuzzled his neck and at the same time worked the button of his jeans open. Lindsey made a low needy sound as Eliot's hand slid inside his pants. "You think Nate bought… shit, do that again! … those earplugs already?"

Eliot's soft chuckle vibrated through both of their bodies. "Don't know… but they definitely turned up the TV." He moaned as Lindsey kissed and nibbled his way down Eliot's chest and up again until he reached his neck. "Lindsey... just... I need..." Eliot's breath hitched in his throat as he felt Lindsey biting down softly, and Lindsey couldn't help but grin.

 _Biting kink, Eliot? Now that's funny._ He bit down again, a little harder this time, and Eliot cursed. 

"Shit... Fuck!" Eliot's body arched up against Lindsey's and he threw his head back.

Lindsey unconsciously stiffened just a little bit at the word, but forcefully relaxed again. _Calm down, Lindsey. He's not like that. And he didn't want it the first time either, remember?_ He brushed his lips over Eliot's ear. "Actually, I'd prefer your hands right now - this is only our second time, can the fucking wait a little…" Lindsey murmured before another bite, "until, say, day five? Don't want you to think I'm easy to get…"

Lindsey was quite sure that he'd kept his voice calm, but Eliot must have registered the slight tension nevertheless, because his hands stilled. But he seemed to decide to file that away for the moment, because he laughed breathlessly and pulled Lindsey closer. "Fucking tease." Eliot's voice sounded almost admiring. He let his hands wander down Lindsey's back to his hips, exploring, _feeling._  Lindsey relaxed completely again and did the same, all the time never taking his eyes off Eliot's face. Eliot held the gaze, like they both wanted to learn their reactions. The half-closed eyes, the slightly opened lips mouthing silent words, the way Lindsey arched his back when Eliot had found another sensitive spot. 

Lindsey was so lost in the sensations that he needed a few seconds to actually realize that Eliot's hands had stopped moving. He made a weak protesting sound and opened his eyes, searching Eliot's face questioningly. Eliot cupped Lindsey's chin and forced him to hold still, studying his face with a puzzled look. Lindsey took a shaky breath, tensing up. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts again." He sounded pleading, he knew it but couldn't help it. He locked eyes with Eliot, but didn't dare to move or say more, afraid of pushing Eliot in the wrong direction.

Eliot held his gaze, face stern. "You know that we most likely will fuck this up. Big time."

Lindsey suppressed a smile and relaxed a little. Eliot hadn't been able to hide a touch of resignation in his voice, which meant that at least he wouldn't bolt out of the door right now. He nodded. "Most likely."

Eliot looked very serious now, but didn't get ready to leave. In fact, he tightened his grip around Lindsey's waist a little bit. "And we will probably kill each other while trying to sort it out."

Lindsey's grin faded as he realized what was behind this. _He's doing worst case scenarios. He's... scared._ His expression softened. "Yeah, probably. 'M willin' to take that risk, y'know?" He had to smile at the amazed expression Eliot wasn't completely able to cover up. "An' you? Is that stoppin' you?" 

Eliot stared up at him a a little longer, speechless. Then his face lit up and he huffed out an unbelieving laugh. He slid his hand around Lindsey's nape, cupped the back of his head and pulled him down. "Hell no. Not anymore." He lifted his head a bit to brush his lips over Lindsey's in an almost tender way, pulled back again and shook his head, still looking amazed. He opened his mouth and looked like he wanted to say more, but closed it again, fond expression shifting to wicked smile. Without a word he grabbed Lindsey's upper arms and flipped them both over, covering Lindsey's body with his own. He rolled his hips as he captured Lindsey's mouth again, kissing him heatedly, almost desperate.

Lindsey's hands wandered down Eliot's body while they kissed, rubbing softly over heated skin, touching, lightly scratching, teasing. For endless minutes their bodies just slowly moved against each other while they managed to get rid of both their jeans without breaking the kiss. Eliot cradled Lindsey's neck with one hand, and Lindsey could feel his other one sliding between their bodies, moving downwards. He moaned against Eliot's lips, a low sound that turned into a whimper as Eliot teasingly brushed over his hipbone. Lindsey could feel a soft chuckle coming from Eliot, and then Eliot's fingers curled and pressed down before he began to stroke him roughly. Lindsey threw his head back against the pillow, his breath coming now fast and ragged as he bucked his hips against Eliot's touch. He lost all sense of time as the strokes became faster, slowed down again and finally found a pace that was just _right_. Lindsey clung to Eliot's shoulders and buried his face against Eliot's neck, biting, trying to muffle his cry as he came. That was enough to send Eliot over the edge as well. 

When Lindsey was able to think again, he found Eliot looking down at him, still breathing fast and face flushed. Lindsey gave him a small breathless smile and felt almost giddy as Eliot returned it, looking as mellow as he probably could. Eliot absently wiped his come-covered hand clean on the sheet, looked down on it and grimaced. He shook his head and laughed quietly to himself, then reached out and brushed a short damp lock of hair away from Lindsey's eyes. 

"Lindsey…"

It was the softest tone of voice Lindsey had ever heard from the other man. He leaned into the touch a little and grinned teasingly. "You're not gonna say something romantic now, are you?"

Eliot rolled off Lindsey to the left side of the bed and grinned back, a little apologizing. "We kinda messed up the sheets. Not very romantic, 'm afraid..." 

Lindsey laughed, used a dry spot on the sheet to clean himself up and then kicked it off the bed. He slid next to Eliot, nudging his shoulder. "Not that I had really expected it."

Eliot ran his fingertips softly down Lindsey's arm, eyes already half closed. "Ain't going to stand up an' get new ones. Not moving now."

"Well, isn't it a good thing then that I still have some in my drawer?" Lindsey grinned and swung his legs out of the bed.

"Sneaky bastard", Eliot commented lazily. His head dropped on the pillow, his eyes fluttered closed and his body relaxed. He was sound asleep when Lindsey pulled the new sheet over him a moment later.

Lindsey slipped under the sheet as well, propped himself up on his elbows and watched Eliot for a while. He had seen him sleeping a few times – on his couch, in a car, even once at the kitchen table – but this was the first time he saw him where he didn't look like he was ready to fight even in his sleep. Lindsey hesitated a moment and then moved closer to him, close enough to feel body warmth but not close enough that it could be considered cuddling – he wasn't entirely sure that Eliot wouldn't break his arm for actually doing that…

 

A few hours later Eliot woke up from an unfamiliar weight on his chest. He remembered just in time that he hadn't been alone while falling asleep, and forcefully relaxed his already clenched fists. He blinked a few times and then realized that Lindsey had draped himself half across him, one arm curled around Eliot's torso like it was a pillow. Obviously Lindsey felt very comfortable in that position because even asleep there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Eliot watched him for a moment and then slowly shook his head.

_Great. Just great. Don't think for a moment that this can become a habit, Lindsey. Oh no. No way._

He tried to wriggle himself free, careful not to wake Lindsey, but it didn't work – at his first movement, Lindsey just groaned a little and tightened his grip. _I'm not a pillow, Lindsey. We have to discuss this later. Sleeping habits._ He closed his eyes again and tried to drift back into sleep.

_Habits?_

His eyes flew open. He suddenly realized that the idea of having Lindsey in his life would include things like this - and it shook him just how casually he had accepted it already. A tiny little flare of panic rose in his stomach and grew fast. _How did this happen? Too fast. He can say what he wants, but one day this will be a relationship – fuck. Never wanted one. It's going to fail. We'll screw up... I will screw up. We'll probably really kill each other. The odds that this will work? Zero._

He quietly growled to himself as he noticed himself going into defense mode. He took a few deep breaths and relaxed again. _You made a decision, Eliot, and you're not chickening out again._ He felt Lindsey stir and knew that he must have felt the way Eliot had suddenly tensed. Lindsey looked up and smiled sleepily. "Hey. You all right?"

Eliot blinked, opened his mouth and then closed it again, returning the smile. "Yeah. It's nothing. All's good." He caressed Lindsey's shoulder. Lindsey's eyes fell close again and Eliot grinned, feeling better.

_Fuck the odds. We will just have to beat them. That's what we do, right?_

***

 

Hardison had arrived at Nate's house at the same time as Parker, who had brought breakfast this time. Amazingly it had contained what Hardison considered "real" breakfast apart from her favorite sweet cereals and fortune cookies. They had chatted a bit in the kitchen while making toast, and Hardison patted himself on the shoulder for his relaxed attitude. He still had to twist his brain around the fact that his idea of Eliot having a crush on Parker had been completely wrong. _And how on earth did I miss the whole Lindsey-Eliot thingy coming on?_ But the thought slowly began to settle down. He blamed his miss on the fact that he really hadn't known that Eliot apparently also liked guys, but that was just more proof that it was impossible to put the hitter in any category. 

Hardison didn't even blink as Parker cheerfully remarked "The lovebirds are up!"

But as the guestroom door opened, he couldn't help but make a loud exasperated groan. He and Parker got a full view of half-naked Eliot. Again. And, as a bonus, Lindsey, only wrapped in a towel, padding out of the bathroom. Hardison rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. "Hell no, not again! Aw man, it's great that you two kissed and made up and all, but are you auditioning for _The Full Monty_ or what? This muscle show has to stop, okay?"

Eliot just glared at him before disappearing into the bathroom, and Lindsey smirked, half-dropping his towel clearly on purpose before the guestroom door closed behind him. Hardison dropped his face in his hands and groaned again.

"What's the problem? You don't look bad shirtless yourself."

Parker's curious question made him snap up his head. "Wha..." His jaw dropped for a moment as her second sentence sank in. A wide happy grin spread over his face. "Really? You think I can compare to them?"

Parker shrugged. "Not exactly compare, but good enough. Why, are you jealous?"

Hardison sputtered. "Well, thanks for being good enough, really, that's quite a compliment, thank you so much! And..." His voice trailed off as he looked into her blank expression. He sighed and took up his full coffee mug. "Look, Parker, I'm not..." He interrupted himself to nod a greeting to Eliot and Lindsey who now entered the kitchen, both looking very content. Hardison watched them for a moment and had to grin about the possessive way Eliot's hand touched Lindsey's hip once in a while – he was pretty sure that Eliot didn't even notice doing it and that was kinda cute. But then he turned his attention back to Parker who was watching him very intensely. He leaned towards her, pointedly ignoring the other two men for now. "Parker. I'm not jealous. I'm happy for them, really. But if I wanna see the Chippendales or whatever, I would... um..."

The words got stuck in his throat as he looked up just in time to see Nate's bedroom door open. It revealed Sophie, clad only in a very short and rather transparent negligee. "Sorry folks, we'll be there in a minute! Don't drink all the coffee!" Sophie chirped happily before vanishing in the bathroom, followed by a dishevelled and yawning Nate.

Parker burst out laughing at the completely crushed look on Hardison's face. Lindsey joined in and even Eliot grinned. To his credit, Hardison didn't groan again. He just sat down his coffee mug very slowly, stared at the others and then pointedly buried his face in his hands again, making loud sobbing noises. "Am I the only one here not getting any? Why am I not getting any?"

"Because you're a pain in the ass," Eliot replied matter-of-factly.

"Not helping here, Eliot!" Hardison snapped before rolling his eyes heavenwards in despair. 

Lindsey patted his shoulder. "I feel for you, Hardison. Really." His voice cracked with laughter. "Would it help if Nate lends you his earplugs or should we get another pair?" 

Hardison glared at Lindsey and his decidedly smug tone of voice, then turned his head. "Parker?" he whined. "Help me. Wanna have sex?"

Next thing he knew Parker was straddling his lap and kissing him passionately, pulling back only when she had to come up for air. She frowned as she studied Hardison's astonished face. "What?"

Hardison caught himself quickly, grabbed Parker's shoulders and kissed her back, not really believing what just happened but deciding to snag the moment. A loud wolf whistle interrupted them finally, and he looked around, feeling slightly dazed and sure that he had the biggest grin ever on his face. The others had stopped what they were doing and watched, more or less smirking. Hardison shook his head and looked at Parker. "Where did that come from, girl?" he asked slightly breathless. Parker rolled her eyes as if he had said something stupid. She shifted her weight to sit more comfortable and gave him a happy smile.

"You know, all you had to do was ask." 


End file.
